“In a landmark shift, Lance Corporal Somaratne Rajapakse—the convicted killer in the Krishanthi Kumaraswamy case—has offered to testify about Sri Lanka’s wartime atrocities, including mass graves and torture sites, if granted an international investigation. Tamil leaders and diaspora groups are calling on the UN, ICC, and global powers to act swiftly to ensure truth and justice.”
August 3, 2025 – Jaffna / Geneva / Washington D.C.
In a chilling yet pivotal development from Sri Lanka, Lance Corporal Somaratne Rajapakse—the convicted rapist and murderer of Tamil schoolgirl Krishanthi Kumaraswamy—has expressed his
willingness to testify about mass graves, torture sites, and military atrocities committed in the Tamil homeland, provided that an international investigation is conducted.
This declaration, conveyed through a letter from his wife, S.C. Wijewikrama, to President Anura Kumara Dissanayake, is being seen as a potential breakthrough in the long-stalled effort to uncover the truth behind the Chemmani mass graves in Jaffna. Rajapakse, who previously testified that 300 to 600 civilians were buried during the war, is now seeking international protection—citing fear of retaliation from Sinhala authorities if he speaks out within Sri Lanka.
Representatives of the Tamil diaspora in the United States, along with mothers and families of the disappeared, have welcomed the development, calling it a “critical turning point.” They argue that the Sri Lankan state’s history of suppressing evidence and shielding military perpetrators leaves no room for domestic accountability. A credible international mechanism—mandated by the United Nations or referred to the International Criminal Court (ICC)—is urgently needed to deliver truth and justice.
“When even a convicted Sinhala military officer is calling for international intervention, the global community can no longer remain silent,” said a spokesperson for Tamil Diaspora News. “This is the clearest evidence that Sri Lanka cannot investigate itself.”
Tamil victims in Sri Lanka and around the world have also underscored that only an independent international inquiry can expose the full scope of war crimes. They call on the United Nations, the United States, the European Union, and India to step forward and support the establishment of an international accountability process—whether through a UN special tribunal or a direct referral to the ICC.
The demand is unified and urgent: No more delays. No more cover-ups. The time for truth, accountability, and justice for Tamils is now.
Thank you,
Tamil Diaspora News
August 3, 2025